The situation of orphans
"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms, but once you do, everything changes." David Platt.
Orphaned children are categorised into ‘single orphan’ a child who has lost one parent, and ‘double orphan’ as a child who has lost both parents.
Children are vulnerable, but orphaned children are most vulnerable
Every human being as a young child would like to enjoy the privilege of being nurtured, loved, and cared for by their mother and father - a 'luxury' which orphans are deprived of. Instead, they struggle to fend for themselves and rebuild their young lives without the support of one or both of the parents. This makes them vulnerable emotionally, psychologically, socially and economically as they find themselves lacking the life necessities such as food, healthcare, and education.
In the economically disadvantaged families, orphans who lose both parents have in some cases become heads of household with the elder orphan assuming the role of father and mother to take care of his or her younger siblings. In one report, children aged 7 and 8 were found to be heading the households in Makete district in Tanzania.
Most orphans are paternal orphans. Paternal orphans are those orphans who have lost their fathers.
Globally, more men die than women due various factors. For example, during the COVID 19 pandemic, statistics show that men in Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 67% to 70% of COVID 19 deaths which translates that more women have become newly widowed and children becoming paternal orphans since the outbreak of the pandemic. Therefore, the majority of the orphans are cared for by their mothers or other members of extended family.
Education is the most problematic area for orphans
Education is one of the most problematic areas for orphans. The tragedy is greatest for double orphans. For example, one of the researches done by UNICEF showed that only 52 per cent of double orphans attend school in Tanzania.
The most pressing needs for orphaned children are school uniforms, books, pens, backpacks, and life necessities such as food and medication.
Facts and figures about orphans
Education-related facts and issues
- In Tanzania, there are about 1,696,349 orphans according to official statistics. About 36,645 of them are in Zanzibar.
- Out of the total number, 854,799 are orphaned girls and 841,550 orphaned boys. About 24,000 orphans live in orphanages in different parts of the country.
- Orphans are less likely to be in school and more likely to fall behind or drop out, compromising their abilities and their future prospects.
- Majority of the orphans who live with their mothers or grandmothers or other members of extended family face drop out from school due to difficulties in meeting their schooling needs.
- Widows who live in poverty also withdraw their half-orphaned children from school because they cannot afford to meet the schooling needs of these children.
- Dropping out of school and engaging in child labour denies the orphaned children the right to education, causes mental stress and anguish to the orphans.
- For some orphans who have lost both parents, the property left behind by their parents is confiscated by unscrupulous relatives thus interrupting their schooling and subjecting them to extreme difficulties and hopelessness.
Socio-economic facts and issues
- Orphans particularly those who live in rural areas enter into child labour to support themselves and their families.
- They work on neighbours’ farms, fetching and selling firewood or farm produce, or making bricks whereby they earn between TZS 500 (€ 0.2) and TZS 1000 (€ 0.4) per day.
- Some of the double orphans become heads of household assuming the role of chief breadwinner to support their younger siblings.
- Girl orphans are subjected to child marriage (married off) in order to relieve their mothers / caretakers from the burden of caring for them.
- Orphans who live with relatives may be treated as second-class family members, being discriminated against in the food allocation, or in the distribution of work (over worked) or physically abused.
- Some of the orphans fall into the hands of criminal gangs (child prostitution, substance abuse, violent crimes, human trafficking) in exchange for basic needs such as food, shelter and other necessities or to satisfy emotional needs like a sense of belonging.
Orphans' education sponsorship Program
“A child without education is like a bird without wings.”
Do you have a warm heart to support orphans' education for the underpriviliged orphaned children in Tanzania?
The orphans below are in need of support to help retain them in school. You can sponsor one or more children by providing financial support to meet the most pressing needs that include school uniforms, books, pens, backpacks / school bag, sanitary materials for girls and or life necessities such as food and medication.
Some girls don't have the underpants, and this can pose a health risk since the pants help to prevent harmful germs from entering the girls' private parts.
€45 covers the cost of a complete set of school uniforms per orphan per year (two shirts, two skirts or two pairs of shorts, two pairs of shoes, two pairs of sox, one school bag, and school supplies namely note books / exercise books, pens, pencils, and mathematical set) .
€27 can cover the cost of sanitary pads and under pants per girl per year and ensure an orphaned girl does not miss school when she is in her monthly period.
€25 is enough to cover health insurance for an orphan per year.
* You can offer sponsorship for one year and renew or terminate it as you so wish.
* You can choose to sponsor either education or health insurance or both.
For sponsorship questions, kindly contact us directly via:
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +31644534229 (SMS, whatApp, or call)
Telephone +31102799430 (call only)
Or you can donate directly through our bank account NL24 INGB 0006389172 (Stichting Widows and Orphans Development) through the donation button provided at the bottom of this page or on our donation page on the menu.
The following orphans are in need of education sponsorship:
Elizabeth Tumaini
Age: 13 years
Class: 5
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Samwel Kazi
Age: 15 years
Class: 5
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Nkina Kubilu
Age: 11 years
Class: 5
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Relative
Ng'wamba Wapi
Age: 8 years
Class: 2
School: Mbiti
Caretaker: Mother
Abel Lucal
Age: 8 years
Class: 1
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Mother
Pendo Sayi
Age: 6 years
Class: 1
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Mother
Sayi Malimi
Age: 8 years
Class: 2
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Boniface Lusesa
Age: 9 years
Class: 3
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Mother
Kulwa Robert (twin)
Age: 8 years
Class: 3
School: Mbiti
Caretaker: Grandmother
Dotto Robert (twin)
Age: 8 years
Class: 3
School: Mbiti
Caretaker: Grandmother
Boniface Richard
Age: 4 years
Class: Kindergarten
School: Mbiti
Caretaker: Relative
Shadrack Yohana
Age: 11 years
Class: 3
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Reuben John
Age: 13 years
Class: 7
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Misangu Kidayi
Age: 5 years
Class: 1
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Mussa Shiwa
Age: 14 year
Class: 6
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Elizabeth Lazaro
Age: 11 years
Class: 4
School: Mbiti
Caretaker: Grandmother
Idembe Nillah
Age: 5 years
Class: 1
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Uncle
Magina Paul
Age: 9 years
Class: 4
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Emmanuel Makoye
Age: 10 years
Class: 5
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Eliya Lucas
Age: 10 years
Class: 5
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Mother
Kidayi Shiwa
Age: 7 years
Class: 1
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Emiliana Lazaro
Age: 8 years
Class: 4
School: Mbiti
Caretaker: Aunt
Neema Yohana
Age: 13 years
Class: 5
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Grandmother
Yusuph Ally
Age: 6 years
Class: 2
School: Mbiti
Caretaker: Aunt
Yohana kulwa
Age: 4 years
Class: Kindergarten
School: Mbiti
Caretaker: Grandmother
Elias Charles
Age: 8 years
Class: 3
School: Mhango
Caretaker: Aunt